The invention relates to a roller blind module for a cooling module of a vehicle wherein the roller blind module is assembled at the cooling module, comprising a roller blind element and at least a drive, by which the roller blind element is uncoilable from a first position into at least a second position wherein in the first position the roller blind element is wound up and in the second position the roller blind element is assembled in front of the cooling module respective to the driving direction of the vehicle. Moreover, the invention relates to a front end element for a vehicle at least comprising a cross member, a cooling module, which is assembled at the cross member, and a roller blind module for the cooling module.
In recent vehicles, particularly in motor vehicles, streaming in fresh air is channelized by a radiator grill of the vehicle or by the opening of the radiator grill and is guided to a cooling module of the vehicle. Particularly by this targeted channelized guiding of the airstream to the cooling module it can be ensured that the corresponding embodiment of the cooling module, for example a motor of a vehicle and/or charge air for this motor, are efficiently cooled and/or the vehicle interior is efficiently conditioned.
The cooling module is exposed to the air stream during the operation of the vehicle. Thereby, however, also a contamination of the cooling module can be involved. Thereby, the functionality of the cooling module is affected. For example a contamination of the cooling module with sand, dust, mud or other types of dirt can lead to a reduction of the cooling capacity of the cooling module. Also a direct damage of the cooling module, particularly for example by rock fall, is possible. Likewise, a control of the amount of the towards the cooling module streaming air can be advantageous. So for example for reasons of the reduction of the CO2 emission particularly with motor vehicles systems can be applied, which realize a control of the cooling air admission. These systems can thereby for example reduce the cold running period of the motor of the vehicle and ensure a faster achievement of the operating temperature of the motor of the vehicle.
It is known in such systems for controlling the cool air entry to apply flap systems. These flap systems however possess depending on the flap height in the opened state a considerable space requirement in longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Further, the air stream is deflected by the flaps in the open state depending on the opening angle of the flaps in different angles and thereby cannot be efficiently used at any time.
In order to avoid these disadvantageous characteristics of flap systems, it can be an advantage to replace the flap system by a roller blind module. So it is for example known from a not yet published application of the applicant to assemble such roller blind modules directly behind the radiator grill of the vehicle. The roller blind module particularly possesses the advantage compared to the flap system as it comprises only a small space requirement in longitudinal direction of the vehicle. By this assembly directly behind the cooling grids another advantage arises additional to the controlling of the air stream that with a closed roller blind module the air resistance of the vehicle is reduced. By the assembly directly behind the cooling grids it however results at the same time that the roller blind module is spaced apart from the cooling module of the vehicle. Thereby in this interspace penetrating dirt can contaminate the cooling module and also damage it in the worst case.